


Along for the Ride

by Toast_Senpai



Category: Top Gear (UK) RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Car Sex, First Time, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-02
Updated: 2012-02-02
Packaged: 2018-01-07 09:12:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1118121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Toast_Senpai/pseuds/Toast_Senpai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How many times had he seen the same sky, the same color, but thought nothing of it?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Along for the Ride

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MaginsCrescent](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=MaginsCrescent).



> MaginsCrescent over on youtube dared me to write a Richard/James fic.
> 
> Since Richard and James are 6 years apart in age, and I wanted to do a high school fic, we are all going to pretend they are the same age. And Jeremy will be 1 year older than them. So speaking in American high school terms, Richard and James will be Juniors and Jeremy will be a senior. The time frame is around 1986.

“James, get a load of this!” Richard shoved the magazine in his friend’s face, making sure he got a good look. James pushed it away, trying to go back to his assignment.

It was just after lunch and the boys had some time to themselves before next period started. Richard, the vehicle lover that he was, had pulled out the latest issue of CAR magazine and absorbed himself in the pages. But when he had spotted the newest Ferrari he just had to show James.

The other boy glanced at the glossy looking car and nodded. “Yes, I see it. It is very… extravagant.”

“Are you kidding me?! It’s amazing! This gorgeous job just came out this week! The Ferrari Mondial, hot out of Italy. It says here that it is replacing the 208/308 GT4. Oh, and here, look, it says the name “Mondial” comes from the famed 500 Mondial race car of the early 1950s. Wow…”

James rolled his eyes as Richard once again clutched the magazine desperately, reading fiercely. That boy and his cars. James enjoyed cars too, but Hammond was obsessed. He could finally drive and insisted on taking his family’s Lancia Delta everywhere. And everywhere meant as much everywhere a sixteen and a half year old boy could go.

The bell soon rang, causing Richard to come out of his stupor. He reluctantly got up and made his way to Physics, saying a lazy goodbye to James. The longer hair teen stared after his friend trying to figure out how Richard ticked. He soon gave up and went to class.

* * *

“So, where do you want to go? Does ice-cream sound good?” Richard waited for James to reply. School was over and Richard had wanted to spend the evening with his friends. Jeremy couldn’t make it, but James said he could. They were now in the school parking lot, Richard smiling that big goofy smile that he always used when he was around James.

“Sure, sounds good.”

They went to a little Ice-Cream Shoppe that only served basic flavors and went inside. Richard would not risk getting the car dirty. James excepted this because he himself liked things clean and neat, and an accident could happen, so he took out the probability of it actually happening by eating elsewhere.

Several of their classmates were already in the shop. It was one of those rare warm October evenings that people took advantage of by spending time outside. Plus, an average sized cone was only seventy-five cents and James said he’d pay for both of them.

“Thanks, mate! I want chocolate.”

So James ordered two cones, one chocolate, the other vanilla. He wasn’t really a chocolate kind of guy. He did like strawberry, but nothing beat vanilla.

It was getting crowded inside the small store so they went outside and sat on a nearby bench. Richard wanted to be able to see his car, just in case anything were to happen. James respected this.

For a while they ate in silence. The autumn wind gently scattered stray leaves around their feet. James glanced up at the sky and couldn’t help but notice how blue it was. Had it ever been such a shade? It almost hurt his eyes to look at it. Good thing the sun was behind them or he would have been tempted to stare at it too.

James heard Richard crunch into his cone and looked at his friend. He was trying desperately to catch the melting cream with his tongue as it ran down the side. It was almost… entrancing. James quickly looked away, mentally kicking himself for even looking. Richard was his friend, his best friend at that. He absolutely couldn’t have any feelings for him.

But he did. There was that feeling when Richard got close to him to show him a new car picture, or looked over his shoulder when he was reading. There was even times when Richard would say a simple “race ya” and James would feel an odd shiver. He’d always brushed it off, though. Now it was nagging at him.

Richard stopped his hasty licking and turned to James. He was about to say something, but just then two of their female classmates came out of the ice-cream shop, giggling about something or other. Both boys stared after them. James vaguely noted that their skirts were definitely pulled up shorter than what school regulations were. When they were out of sight he felt a hand fall on his shoulder. Out of surprised he jumped a little, causing his ice-cream cone to slide a bit from his hand. It didn't fall, thankfully.

“What is it, Hammond?”

“C’mon, don’t use my last name. You only use that when you’re angry.”

“Well, I almost dropped my ice-cream.”

“Why? Hurry up and eat it! You should have gotten a dish if you wanted to drink it.”

It was true that his was melting. He didn’t feel like eating it very much anymore, though. There was thankfully a garbage bin to his right and he let it fall into it. Richard stared at him in disbelief. Those huge brown eyes of his were somehow even more noticeable to James than before. He was happy that it was starting to get dark out. His reddened cheeks would be harder to see that way.

James told Richard to finish up so they could go home. Richard obeyed, not questioning it.

But when Richard started driving, James noticed they were heading the opposite way.

“Where are we going? You do know home is behind us, right?”

“Yes, I know.”

James waited for a reply and Richard said nothing more. It made James feel a little uneasy. Where exactly were they going? A new, odd feeling of something unknown and odd was building inside of him. Houses and street lights rushed past them, Richard taking them farther and farther. Soon there were a lot of trees and fewer houses. Then no houses and just trees. James stared out into the becoming night. It was a little past five thirty and the sun was sliding down lower. It turned the surrounding clouds into a delicious sherbet color. James couldn’t help but be momentarily transfixed.

How many times had he seen the same sky, the same color, but thought nothing of it? It helped take his mood off the current situation. He didn’t even notice when Richard pulled onto a gravel road. He even found himself saying quietly, “What a beautiful sunset.”

Finally he drew his eyes away and shyly towards Richard. It was weird suddenly, the mood. Richard was staring intently at him, seemingly ready to say something. He finally did.

“Those girls back at the ice-cream place. What did you think of them? Truly,” Richard asked quietly.

James was taken back. What kind of question was that? He looked everywhere but at Richard. "They were… they didn’t interest me, if that’s what you’re asking. I mean sure, they were pretty, but I don’t feel anything for them.”

He accidentally looked Richard in the eyes and was caught. Would it be rude to look away again? Those eyes were almost too intense.

“Good.”

James was once again surprised. He stared at his friend.

In what was probably half a second Richard had his lips on James’ own. Then they were gone as quick as they had come. Talk about a shock. James couldn’t wrap his mind around what had just happened. In fact, he had probably imagined it. Yes, that had to be it.

“I fancy you, James. Well, a little bit at least.”

Oh god. How was he supposed to react to that? Richard, his car-fanatic best friend said words he had never really thought about before. But he had said them. This couldn’t be a dream. The fabric of the car’s seat was too real under his sweating hands. Before he could even get any words out Richard was climbing onto him. He reached down and the seat slid all the way back. The sun was gone but James felt unbearably warm all over.

“Richard, I don’t get you.” James' voice shook a bit.

At those words Richard went still. He stared down at James, trying to make out his face in the darkening car. “Just do this with me. Only once. But if we like it…”

“What are you saying? Have you gone mad?”

“No. Well, maybe. I just… I want to know what it’s like, and I thought you were the perfect person to do this with.”

“I’m an experiment, is that it?”

The car went quiet. James wondered why he had put it that way. But it was partly true, right? Were they really at that age where they wanted to know who was doing what and where and why and how? It was all a little too much. Well, almost too much.

“James, please don’t make it seem like a bad thing. Haven’t you ever wondered what it is like…?” James could tell Richard was avoiding saying the exact words. That was fine, though. It was an embarrassing subject. And in truth, he _had_ thought about shagging. But only in tiny fleeting moments. And never with Richard. “So, is it okay?”

James didn’t want to say no. Richard was one of those people who couldn’t take it when you said no. He was one of those people you didn’t want to say no to.

James closed his eyes and nodded his head, and he was suddenly, painfully aware of how Richard was in his lap, hands on his shoulders, face only a short distance away. He was also aware of the way Richard was shaking slightly, unbuttoning his trousers, then sliding back onto the floor, and his head was lower, and good god his mouth was _hot_.

Even despite how embarrassing it was to do this with his friend, James let his body give in. Richard was sloppy and inexperienced. Would it have been more enjoyable or more of a shock if he had actually known what he was doing? James kept his eyes closed.

He didn’t know when Richard had gotten out of most of his clothes, or where the rubber came from, but it was suddenly on him and Richard was straddling his lap.

“James?”

He opened his eyes at his name. It was almost impossible to see but he could just make out Richard’s face. His eyes looked impossibly huge. The car was too warm and he was sweating, but so was Richard because his skin slid across his wetly, and then it was really happening. Richard groaned against James’s neck, feeling the uncomfortable stretch. James was worried for him, yes, but it felt unbelievable.

Why hadn’t he done this before? How could he ever look at Richard the same way, knowing that they had done this?

It was a while before James got the courage to take hold of Richard’s hips and move him at a steady pace. It was all still so new and each little movement made him shiver. How could he possibly last long? Richard seemed to be doing a little better. He tried to move along with James the best he could, breathing loudly next to his ear. Either he had imagined it or not, but it sounded like Richard had whimpered out James’ name. It could have been his mind playing tricks, but still, James tightened his grip on Richard’s hips and lost himself to the pleasure.

As he gulped in air, Richard tensed above him. His mind slowly cleared, and he felt just a tad bit of guilt. Richard didn’t move off of him for a while.

James glanced at the clock and saw that it was six. He had to be home in about an hour. But now what was he supposed to say? What did people usually say after shagging their best friend? Luckily he didn’t have to say anything.

“Thanks. For doing this with me. I mean, I trust you the most out of everyone I know. Even more than Jeremy, if you can believe it.”

He could. James found himself smiling, his heart warming at the way Richard clung to him and spoke softly. He thought a few seconds about what he should say. Finally it came to him.

“You know… I think we should get a burger.”

Richard laughed, and the sound of it was music to his ears.

“You are amazing, you know that?”

Well, he didn’t know about that, but as long as Richard thought so, it was enough.


End file.
